Lots of Pictures

Fuschia finally blooming

 I have a few minutes before leaving to go up to Virginia and start the process of moving Mom down to live with Susan and me.  She is worried that she will be in our way - I just hope she can handle all the critters in this household!  I know Bear is looking forward to her being here - he took an instant liking to her and rarely leaves her side when she is here.
  
School is out, summer school is going full swing, things are in place to prepare for next year, and IT IS HOT!  I have spent some time working on my pottery - trying different things and working on throwing larger pieces.  The June 2nd Saturday in Edenton was not the best - only two sales, but good sales.  I did tell them I would be back in July.  The problem seems to be that North Carolina does not have money in budget this year to promote the 2nd Saturdays program.  Too bad - it really is a neat way to showcase arts and crafts in the state.  I urge everyone who is interested in arts and traditional crafts to go to any of the state historical sites on the 2nd Saturday of July and see demonstrations and talk with the artists.

 Since I am in such a hurry, I am just going to post pictures of some of my latest work.  I like jars and pots with lids and have been working on perfecting that part of the craft.  Also the different glazing methods.  Enjoy!

Summer's Almost Here

 Happy Memorial Day!  Growing up listening to Navy stories from World War II makes me appreciate what our fighting men and women have done to preserve liberty.  I hope it is meaningful for you.














Although it is a little hot today - and supposed to be even hotter tomorrow - the weather has been great and everything is blooming and in full swing.  Our apple trees are loaded, having escaped the late frost, as are the pear trees and figs bushes.  The day lilies are in full splendor and Susan's transplants from the parsonage are starting to take root and bloom.  Summer is close! 










Lots of things have been happening to keep me from my blog.  Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville, Virginia, getting ready for Mom to move down to live with us in North Carolina, school will be out at the end of this week, and the summer festivals begin.  Trying to gear up for everything at once is getting "tiresome", but the end of some of these things is near.  Graduation is this Friday night and, other than the few students who didn't believe that I would really make them come back to school to work off detentions after school is out, I will have a break from dealing with students.  This has been a long weekend and I took advantage of the extra time to throw 25 pounds of clay - working on some bigger pieces and trying out some new methods

One of the methods I am trying is using paper resist and mason stains to decorate the pots.  It is a method that is recommended for earthenware, but I will see how it works on stoneware.  I have had pretty good success with mason stains and clear/transparent glazes.

June 11 is the first 2nd Saturday program in North Carolina and I will be at Edenton, demonstrating and selling my work.  If you are not familiar with 2nd Saturdays, check it out at http://www.ncdcr.gov/2ndsaturdays.asp or look for the ads in Our State magazine.  There will be crafts people and artists at most all the historical sites around the state each month.  I will also be in Edenton in July, but am looking for maybe a different site for August.  If you are close to Edenton, come by and see me.

Changes, changes, and more changes

Well, I am no longer a classroom teacher - I am once again a high school principal. The push is on to make the final move into our farmhouse. I drove to Chicago and back. I have been to Seagrove. My laptop crashed. My digital camera locked up and fell apart. And, this has all happened within the last month!  (The picture to the left is my feet as I stood on the Plexiglas floor over 100 stories above Chicago.  The picture below is of "The Bean" in Millennium Park in Chicago.  I am the little figure right in the middle taking this picture.) 

I think the principal promotion is a good move. I am ready to move into the house (to be closer to my shop). I have recovered from my trips. My laptop is running again, thanks to Dan Hux, our tech person at school. (If you are in the market for an adirondack chair, check out his page at danhuxwoodworking.wordpress.com.) And, the price of digital cameras has come down so much since I last bought a camera, I will be able to get a better camera for less money! Isn't life exciting? 

Lately, I have been working on re-stocking my inventory for fall shows. I participated in the July "2nd Saturday" program in North Carolina - this time in Edenton - and did very well. So, now I need to work harder to have enough for the last "2nd Saturday" program in August. I will be at Somersett Plantation in Creswell, North Carolina for that one. I also made a contact for a show in September, which will require more pieces to be ready. I'm thinking smaller functional pieces like apple bakers, bowls, and mugs.

Despite my weak attempts to be more consistent in my posts, AND the fact that I am now going to be busier than ever with everything happening in my life right now, I still am bound and determined to add to this blog more regularly. A camera will help!